Alcohol Advice
Concern about health and fitness is encouraging many men to reduce
their alcohol intake. However, over one fifth of men are drinking
above the recommended limit of 28 units a week, and 6% are drinking
at a dangerous level of over 50 units. A recent study found that since
the licensing laws changed, men were more likely than women to take
advantage of all day opening. Alcohol related deaths among men have
risen 19-fold since the 1960's.
Long Term Effects
The liver is like a car with one gear - it can only work at one rate.
On average, it takes one hour for the liver to burn up one unit of
alcohol. If it has to deal with too much over a number of years, it
suffers damage.
Excessive drinking can cause :
- Stomach disorders (gastritis, bleeding and ulcers)
- Depression and other psychiatric and emotional disorders
- High blood pressure
- Vitamin deficiency
- Sexual difficulties (including impotence and infertility)
- Brain damage
- Muscle disease
- Nerve pains in the arms and legs
- Hepatitis and liver cirrhosis
- Cancer of the mouth and throat
- More problems for diabetics
Sex and Alcohol
Drink is commonly believed to be an aphrodisiac but as Shakespeare
said it 'provokes the desire, but takes away the performance'. The
sobering physical fact is that problem drinkers are more likely to
express dissatisfaction with their sex lives. Alcohol misuse affects
the reproductive functions in men and women. Persistent heavy drinking
can lead to: loss of desire and potency shrinking of the testicles
reduction of the size of the penis diminished sperm production loss
of body hair.
Drink and Crime
More men than women have a criminal record due to drink. In 1989 there
were almost 86,000 male drunkenness offences compared with under 7,000
for women. As a mood altering drug alcohol is often involved in destructive
or violent behaviour which can have a damaging effect on family and
social life.
Drinking too much?
Warning signs:
- Needing to have alcohol at hand
- Getting into trouble because of drinking
- Making drink a top priority
- Having to increase the amount drunk in order to feel the same effect
- Having accidents or injuries because of drinking
